>> jeff: tonight two days to g president obama and governor romney through swing states in an election still too close to call. our political team has the latest. with the new york marathon canceled runnered turn their efforts to help victims of sandy today. seth doane reports from new york's staten island. new jersey motorists are running on empty and homeowners on the shore are trying to dig out, ben tracy visits the states hardest hit. >> we we never get this. >> and food fight. john blackstone is following the california showdown over what's in your meals. and whether you have the right to see it on the label. >> why are they afraid of me knowing? >> this i captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news." >> jeff: good evening,

everyone, i'm jeff glor, as the final weekend of campaign 2012 draws to a close the race for the white house could not be closer. the latest polls indicate a virtual tie. taking no chances the candidates are chris crossing swing states. we begin with nancy cordes who is with the obama campaign in cincinnati tonight. >> reporter: president obama joined forces this weekend with his most powerful supporter, former president bill clinton who took on romney with relish. >> he's tied himself in so many knots trying to say he didn't oppose what he clearly opposed that i expect any day he will be offered a job as a chief contortionist at cirque du soleil. >> reporter: mr. clinton is being dispatched to four cities in pennsylvania tomorrow to give a last minute offensive by the romney camp in that typically blue state. mr. obama brings up the clinton years at every rally. >> we tried our ideas, they worked. middle class grew, america prospered, deficits became surpluses. we tried their ideas, incomes went down, deficit blew up.

>> reporter: obama officials revealed this weekend that campaign workers have registered 1.8 million new voters in key battleground states. double the number they registered before the '08 election. they say those new voters plus apparent early voting leads in ohio, florida, iowa and nevada will put them over the top. mr. obama told a crowd of 23,000 in hollywood, florida, it's all up to them now. >> you know what i believe, you know where i stand. and you know that no matter what happens, i'll fight for you and your family every single day as hard as i know how. >> reporter: president obama will spend the last day of his last campaign in three midwest states, iowa, ohio and wisconsin. he said today that at this stage in the race he is merely a prop. and that the real stars of this drama are his get out the vote teams and the voters themselves, jeff. >> jeff: nancy, thank you. jan crawford now is with governor romney in pennsylvania. >> two more days! two more days and we can get

to work rebuilding our country! >> two more days! >> reporter: in the crucial state of ohio, romney talked today in sweeping language about a brighter future. >> two more days we start rebuilding our country and restoring our confidence and renewing our conviction. confidence that we're in a solid path to steady improvement. americans don't settle, we build, we aspire, we dream, we achieve. >> reporter: this morning in iowa romney promised change. >> i'm not just going to take office on january 20th, i'm going to take responsible for the office as well. (cheers and applause) >> reporter: with national polls showing the race tied up, romney also is drawing crowds in the tens of thousands. in wisconsin running mate paul ryan campaigned with green bay packers fans as he in his home state another battleground. romney also follows ryan in a last minute push through pennsylvania, the state leans democratic but polls

show the race has tightened and the romney campaign decided to give it a shot. now more than 20,000 people waited hours in this cold to hear romney speak. and if he could win pennsylvania it would give him a lot more flexibility. but this state is tough for republicans. the last republican presidential candidate to win here was george wh bush in 1988. january crawford, cbs news, yardly, pennsylvania. >> jeff: it takes 270 electoral votes to capture the white house. and our political director john dickerson has been mapping out possible ways to win for both campaigns. john, good evening. what does it look like tonight? >> reporter: well, good evening, jeff. of that magical 270, if you look at the states that are very likely or presumed to go to barack obama, he starts with about 327 electoral votes in his column. governor romney starts with about 191. with that kind of head start, there are about 430 possible routes to victory for barack obama. for mitt romney there are

far fewer, about 76 or so routes. that means the easiest way for barack obama to get to the magical 270 would be to win florida and then any of the other eight battleground states. for governor romney it is harder. he would have to win florida, north carolina, virginia, ohio and then one remaining battleground state in order for him to get to 270. >> jeff: there seems to be an increasing discussion or speculation that governor romney could win the popular vote but barack obama wins the electoral college. why is that? >> people have started to think about that because if you look at the polling, governor romney has lead or done better in some national polls, which suggest he has more people supporting him. president does better in the battleground states. if he wins the electoral college there may be a case in which more people vote for governor romney, that would lead to a big partisan fight after this election. >> jeff: john dickerson from washington, john, thank you. >> now the latest on sandy. six days after a superstorm

devastated parts of the northeast, the recovery and frustration continues. at least 111 people are known dead. nearly 2 million homes and businesses remain without power. that is down from a peak of over 8 million. most of them in new jersey and new york. there is still a scramble for gas and housing as temperatures drop. ben tracy in new jersey begins our coverage. >> reporter: along the coast in rumson, new jersey, an old-fashioned iron hand pump is the only way to get gasoline out of its underground tank. the gas is fueling generators in a town largely without electricity. >> anything can power my house, feed my family, hot water and take hot showers, the basics like a hundred years ago. >> reporter: at stations with power gas is being rationed. only drivers with even numbered licence plates could fill up today. for pam maida and her 11-year-old daughter samantha this is day seven without electricity. they don't want to go to this nearby shelter which is

now packed as temperatures fall into the 30s at night. >> how long are you willing to do this? >> you know, i don't know at this point yet. i'm kind of just taking it day-by-day. >> i'm getting kind of tired of not having electricity and stuff. >> reporter: maida's 77-year-old mother joan says this gas fireplace is not enough to stay warm. >> we're sitting here bundled up and everything. it's really terrible. >> everything but the kitchen sink. >> reporter: neighbors on their treat in thoms river are rushing to stay ahead of the mold that could destroy their homes. >> i'm so glad everybody is safe. >> reporter: down the shore in tuckerton tabatha ludeman saw her neighborhood for the first time since fleeing the storm. >> the only thing we had was the clothes on our back and grabbed our animals and left, not expecting to come back to nothing. >> reporter: these wooden blocks are all that is left of her house. >> part of our house is a-- across the street. our couch two streets down, you know. we never expected this to be this bad. we fever get this.

>> reporter: now tabatha ludeman did meet with someone from fema to fill out the paperwork to hopefully get assistance. more than 50,000 people here in new jersey have done the same. and fema has already approved $30 million in payments. >> jeff: ben, thank you. >> next door in new york was no marathon to run, some runners spent the day delivering supplies to those in need. seth doane is on staten island. >> reporter: hundreds of would-be marathon runners and volunteers including sherry met up this morning less than a mile from the planned starting line in staten island. >> with the marathon cancelling, some of the people running the marathon wanted to organize a way to kind of give back to those communities that need. >> reporter: wearing orange and weighed down with backpacks filled with food, first aid and supplies, they jogged through this borough where 22 were killed and 20,000 remain without power. her running partner michael reed flew in from london to run. >> how was it to have it cancelled.

>> well, it was disappointing. but it's definitely the right decision. i think when you look and and see what other people have gone through, it's really meaningless for us to get up set over something like this. >> reporter: when the marathon was cancelled two days ago, a sort of grass roots call to action went out on facebook. today's finish line was this droppoff point for supplies. >> very overwhelming. >> it's sad but it's nice to see humanity come through in times like this. >> reporter: these orange jerseys were a welcome sight here. >> always good to have all of these folks coming in your neighborhood. >> it's wonderful. it's a god send. >> lorette has lived here since the '60s. with her home in ruins, she slept in her car. >> it's believed that 30 to 40,000 people in new york are in need of shelter. >> i put it up for everybody. >> why did you put your flag up. >> because we're proud to be american. we may fall but we standing

back up. >> reporter: many here called staten island the forgotten borough because following sandy, so few paid attention despite the death toll and the devastation here. today, jeff, those marathon runners tried to change that. >> jeff: seth, thank you. later how one of the most cloed political systems in the worldviews our wide open race. genetically modified food on the ballot in california. and getting out the vote in the crucial swing state of ohio. those stories when the "cbs evening news" continues.

>> jeff: of all the battleground states the biggest fight is for ohio. since 1960 no man has won the presidency without ohio. currently worth 18 electoral votes. so far an estimated 30% of registered voters in ohio have cast their ballots. and dean reynolds is there watching the ground game as both sides try to win the

rest. >> reporter: if enthusiasm is ammunition in this ground war for ohio, then the church of north point in columbus is digging deep into its arsenal. >> you know, voting is a right, it's a privilege but it's also a responsibility. >> reporter: gail dudley is a minister here. >> there is a real exsouthment that even if they have already voted they're still excited. ♪ to the polls we're going to take our souls sotomayor. >> reporter: sunday was souls to the polls day during which van loads of voters were driven to the polling place where the long lines attested to the popularity of voting early. as of friday 1.6 million ohioans had done so. >> and we said listen, you have a right to vote. and we want to you exercise that vote. and have your voice heard. >> reporter: that's mallory kimball's mission. >> i've been doing this, you know, for over a year. >> reporter: an ohio state student and obama foot soldier, kimball is combing neighborhoods for like-minded voters and those

who may need more persuading. >> it comes down to this date. so yeah, i feel lucky to live here and be able to vote here. >> reporter: i'm jeff johnson with the republican party. >> reporter: a few miles away jeff johnson is doing the same thing, for mitt romney. >> this is the third time i have been on this street. >> reporter: with the help of his wife. >> 3677. >> reporter: johnson plots an approach that scientifically targets specific people. >> i mean i'm going over my tracks again and again, meeting more and more people. >> reporter: it is the sound of this last major offensive of the 2012 campaign. hours before a welcome silence falls on tuesday. dean reynolds, cbs news, columbus. >> jeff: new york, new jersey and connecticut are struggling to accommodate voters displaced by sandy. nearly one in four polling sites in new jersey was impacted by the storm. they will allow early voting at county clerks offices today and monday as well as e-mailed and faxed ballots.

the national guard is also ready to set up mobile voting booths in new jersey's disaster areas. >> we'll be right back

>> jeff: a young boy was killed at the pittsburgh zoo today after falling into an exhibit that housed 11 african painted dogs. the child fell 14 feet before being malled. he was with his mother at the time. african painted dogs are an endangered species from africa. investigators are looking for the cause of a helicopter crash that dilled two police officers in atlanta. the police chopper went down near a major intersection in

northwest atlanta last night. the officer were searching for a missing nine-year-old boy who was later found. after being dogged by production delays and cost overruns the first ever commercial flight of the boeing 787 dream liner happened today. it was united flight that landed at chicago's o'hare airport. half the plane including its wings is made of a lighter composite material instead of metal. still ahead on tonight's "cbs evening news", labeling genetically modified foods. will a california vote have nationwide affects

>> jeff: california voters will decide tuesday if foodmakers must label all products that are made with genetically modified ingredients. it's estimated that up to 75% of all processed foods sold in your local grocery store contain gmos. but as john blackstone reports, the labeling debate has been served up with plenty of controversy. >> hmmmm. >> reporter: susan lang is very picky about what she feeds her kids even at snacktime. >> more cheese and vegetables. >> reporter: i have seen in my life how important a healthy diet is for my kids. >> reporter: lang supports california's proposition 37 which calls for labeling foods containing genetically modified ingredients. or gmos. >> the research hasn't been done about the long-term effects. these are brand-new foods. >> reporter: in the u.s. more than 93% of the soy crop and 88% of corn is genetically engineered. offered to withstand

chemical weed killer and corn to repel insects, pesticide is engineered directly into the crenels. 61 countries have gmo labeling laws but the u.s. food and drug administration does not require disclosure genetically engineering techniques calling gmo crops the substantial equivalent of conventional crops. not so says the center for food safeties andrew. >> this new technology genetic engineering puts novel viruses, bacteria and genetic constructs in food that have never been there before. >> fearmongering should not belong on food labels. >> reporter: cathy fairbanks represents the opposition. >> prop 37, it's deceptive and costly. >> reporter: a campaign funded primarily by biotech, chemical and food industry giants, including hersheys which already does label its products overseas. >> the consumers will view that label as a warning when none should exist.

the food is the same. it's safe, it's fine to eat. >> reporter: the no campaign claims the measure will cost california up to a million dollars to enforce, generate lawsuits, and increase family grocery bills by about 8 dollars a week. >> that's why i oppose prop 37. >> reporter: the no campaign has raised more than $45 million. far expanding-- outspending the yes campaign which raised only 8 million. >> vote yes. >> vote yes. >> reporter: money talks in california, support for prop 37 has dropped steeply from 67 percent in september to 39%. but many are fighting hard for the right to know. >> i've got to make the decision about their diets, not the industry, not the government, the not the genetic engineers, my right, my duty. >> reporter: and on lex day it will be her vote. john blackstone, cbs news, san francisco. >> coming up, young people in china checking in on america's presidential

campaign

>> jeff: pollsters and pundits are not the only ones trying to anticipate the outcome of tuesday's election. the presidential campaign has also captured the attention of people in countries around the globe. our bill whitaker has the view from china. >> reporter: these young people crowded into this cafe for a very popular event, the last u.s. presidential debate. this cafe is in beijing. millions of young chinese like university student wang hanyi are engrossed with the american presidential election. >> we just want to know like what is happening on the other side of the world. we are now living the realm of social media. it's much easier to get the information compared to the past. >> reporter: we met with wang and two other self-proclaimed political junkie, zhan a student and liu jinyang, a journalist. american politics, why.

>> american elections is open and democratic. >> reporter: unlike chinese politics. two days after the u.s. pick a president, china has a ruler by a communist party process that is secretive an byzantine. the american process is wide open and accessible, even here in china. >> and we -- >> 29-year-old english teacher is like a pied piper, he downloads and translates american campaign speeches and debates to feed a growing on-line community of followers. >> they want to look with their own eyes and listen with their own ears and make their own judgement. >> reporter: he got tens of millions of hits during the convention. >> on day one i will label china a currency manipulater. >> reporter: they don't like that china comes in for so much yet civil, we are going to insist that china plays by the same rules as everybody else. >> the u.s. is always

running the process in the world. and he said oh, china is behind me and he's catching up and running faster and faster. >> reporter: but they do like that americas get the challenge to choose their leaders. >> they can ultimately question and discuss the political problems. people are all watching it. and it's like a party for the nation. >> reporter: do you ever foresee a day when what you are seeing in the u.s. could happen here in china? >> it's going to take time, for sure. >> reporter: but this type of conversation couldn't have happened a generation ago. and that's what these young people call progress. bill whitaker, cbs news, beijing. >> that is the "cbs evening news." i'm jeff glor. good night.

surrounded by picket lines tonight. why workers at one major chain have walked offe job -- and how shoppers are reacting. dozens of grocery stores surrounded by picket lines. why workers walked off of the job and how shoppers are reacting. the people are responsive and generous. >> coming to the aid of people in need in the northeast. the extraordinary effort by two men from the bay area. record warmth is heading our way. the days you should expect it. eyewitness news is up next. ,,